


Domesticated Bliss

by myriddin



Category: Victorious
Genre: Babies, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 23:37:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6929014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myriddin/pseuds/myriddin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Otherwise known as the Domesticated Jori series. A collection of connecting oneshots featuring Tori and Jade's family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Puppy Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tori and Jade's household has a new addition, and Jade is less than pleased.

They had been walking down a busy main street on a December afternoon, laden down with the week’s groceries. Tori, nearly giddy with the Christmas spirit, was bounding up and down the sidewalks to stare into the store windows like a fascinated child. Jade sighed and grumbled under her breath, but that did not stop her girlfriend from peering through the glass at colors, sounds and lights that had her brown eyes wide with fascination and delight. It was cute, really, to see the normally mature and put-together Tori acting like a kid, not that Jade would admit that aloud.

“Jade! Look over here!”

As soon as Jade did, she knew she was going to regret it. Really, things had been bad enough with arms full of food that cost nearly more than the rent they paid for their small apartment. At twenty, they were both still struggling to make names for themselves, Jade by writing plays, Tori by acting. And the look on Tori’s face just spelled complications Jade did _not_ need.

“Vega, no!”

“Aw, why not? I’ve always wanted a puppy.”

“I don’t want a flea-bitten mongrel underfoot all the time! And need I remind you what happened last time we tried anything with a dog?”

“That was years ago. And they’re so cute. Could we just go look?”

“No! And put that lip away before I do something indecent.”

“Jade-hmph!”

“Told you.”

Tori’s startled look melted away, replaced by a soft, sly smile. Her lashes lowered until her dark eyes were hooded and come-hither, Tori tilting up on her tiptoes to place her lips against Jade’s ear, her breath hot against pale skin. “Come with me now, and I’ll show you _indecent_ later tonight.”

Jade groaned in defeat as she allowed herself to be tugged into the pet store, cursing Tori’s sexiness and her ability to use it against her.

xx

And because three years in a committed relationship with Tori Vega of all people had made her a permanent soft touch, Christmas morning saw Tori squealing excitedly as she received Jade’s gift. The little bundle of energy and fur yipped and excitedly danced around the young woman and Tori laughed as the puppy licked at her face, his ribbon-collar tickling. She pulled Jade close and kissed her fiercely, ignoring the playwright’s complaints about dog slobber, crushing her girlfriend close in a tight hug.

Jade rolled her eyes but wrapping her arms around the actress in return. Tori sighed contently and snuggled closer, watching as the furball played in the scattered remains of wrapping paper.

“I think I’ll name him Butterscotch. Like his fur.”

Jade kissed Tori’s forehead, hiding her smile against sleep-tousled brown hair. “Right. Because _that_ won’t give him a complex or anything.”

“Jade!”

xx

And of course, there were problems.

Like the puddle Jade stepped in when getting out of bed.

The fact that their budget tightened even more to include all of Butterscotch’s needs.

Like when her favorite boots became Butterscotch’s favorite chewtoy.

Or when the dog tried to maul her precious collector scissors.

Like when the special-diet food Tori insisted the canine needed cost more than the sushi Jade bought for their anniversary dinner…

Or when the mutt ate said sushi (and made himself sick) and Jade had to call for takeout…

And the fact that the water was shut off because Jade had to wait until she got the commission for her latest play.

The menace had to go.

xx

It was a couple of months after getting Butterscotch that Tori landed a role in an out-of-state movie, requiring her to spend a month in New York. Involved heavily in a new project that could prove to be a breakthrough for her career, Jade was forced to stay in LA and not go with her.

It was disconcerting how empty their bed felt at night.

Jade returned home one night to a cold, quiet apartment, threw down her bag, and collapsed into a chair.

A warm, furry body crawled into her lap, gazing up at her with sad brown eyes. Jade sighed, hugging the puppy to give them both some semblance of comfort. “Alright,” she muttered as Butterscotch wriggled closer, “You can stay.”

There was where Tori found them hours later, an intended surprise as she was a week early. She smiled fondly, kissing Jade’s forehead before she threw a blanket over the sleeping (and lightly snoring, the both of them) forms, moving down the hall to put her bags away.

It was good to be home.

 


	2. Wicked Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know how you fooled everyone for so long, but you're a wicked, wicked woman."

Driving at nighttime had always been one of Jade West’s favorite pastimes, but a seven-hour car trip was enough to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. As each stretch of highway rushed passed her in a perpetual blur of painted lines and asphalt, the hypnotic lure of the same monotonous rhythm had Jade constantly tempted to pull over and find a room for the night, lest she finally give in to the drowsy pull of her eyelids.

Still, there was an even stronger force egging her on to keep driving, to push past her exhaustion and continue her journey. Each green sign denoting the lessening distance to her intended destination increased her jumbled feeling of expectation and longing.

She stopped ten minutes for a coffee, ignored the taste of the mediocre brew, thick and black as tar, and decided not to dwell on the gas station attendant’s expression when she marched through the door, demanding a single cup to go.

She passed through the LA city limits, greeted by familiar skyscrapers and busy streets, her anticipation only growing as she turned off into a quiet, residential neighborhood. When she pulled into the driveway, the windows to the small house were black, the home itself quiet and still as Jade turned her key in the lock and let herself in.

She made her way through the silent darkness, embraced by the shadows casting over the home she had worked so hard to earn. Success had not come easy, and it was even more difficult to keep, therein being the reason for the extended business trip that had taken her away to begin with.

Her balance was suddenly overturned when she tripped over something large and cumbersome, just barely catching her balance against the wall. She bit her tongue to keep a stream of curses from escaping, glaring down at the offender. “Butterscotch,” she growled through clenched teeth.

The full-grown Golden Retriever blinked up at her through sleepy eyes, from where he had been curled up in the middle of the hall. His tail wagged with recognition and he licked her hand. Her nose wrinkled with disgust but she sighed and resigned herself to scratching his ears before he woke the household with his whining.

“Honestly,” she murmured, “You have your own bed. Go lay down. Scotch, _go lay down_ ,” she hissed, exasperated as the furball finally obeyed and loped off toward the laundry room, where his bed resided.

Tori was sleeping peacefully as Jade finally slipped into their bedroom, creating such a pretty picture Jade found herself reluctant to wake her. But a bundle of emotion was tight in her chest, warmth and want spreading through her, rapid and blazing as wildfire, but soothing and familiar as the embrace she longed for.

Her clothes hit the floor with scarcely a whisper of fabric, the sheets cool and smooth against her naked skin as she slid into the bed, encasing Tori in her arms. The half-Latina came alive in Jade’s embrace, turning in pale arms to greet her lover with a sleepy smile and the sweetest of kisses. Jade found herself grateful for the caffeine pick-me-up, providing much needed stamina as Tori enthusiastically welcomed her home.

Lying together in the aftermath of their lovemaking, bordering on the brink of sleep and consciousness, they held each other close, Tori’s head against Jade’s shoulder as Jade languidly stroked her partner’s hair. The peaceful state they found themselves lulled into was broken soon after by a sudden, shrill cry piercing through the air.

Jade groaned, burying her face in a pillow as Tori drowsily nudged her. “Your turn, West. That’s what happens when you’re gone for _three weeks_ instead of the long weekend you planned for.”

Jade lifted her face, opening one eye to glare. “How many times do I have to apologize?”

“Nine months and twenty hours of labor, Jade. Take a guess.” Tori shifted beside her lover, the sheets falling to her waist as she did so. Jade’s eyes unabashedly roamed her body. Tori smirked, still amazed that Jade could look at her with such appreciation and hunger despite the baby weight Tori still carried, the spidery lines of stretch marks that lingered, only three months after giving birth. But Jade consistently maintained that the actress had never looked more beautiful than when she was carrying Jade’s child.

She reached out, grazing a hand over Jade’s toned abdomen, watching blue eyes darken as she skimmed her fingers up to cup a breast. She leaned close, close enough for her lips to graze against Jade’s with every word she whispered, "Now go tend to your son or you’re sleeping on the couch.”

Jade blinked, shaken from her aroused haze and then drew back, shooting the reclining brunette a sour look. “You’re evil, Vega. I don’t know how you fooled everyone for so long, but you’re a wicked, wicked woman.”

“Takes one to know one, babe,” Tori Vega-West airily replied, blowing her wife a kiss before nestling back in the blankets. “You’re the one that married this evil woman.”

“Worst decision I ever made,” Jade shot back, earning a giggle from the blanket cocoon before Jade rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hall to attend their son.


	3. Midnight Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade has a talk with her newborn son.

Pallid moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating a rousing silhouette in a bed. The source of its disruption was a howling, squirming infant in a nearby cradle. Jade groaned irritably, rubbing a hand over her face as she swung her legs to the side of the bed and rose shakily to her feet. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as Tori sat up, bleary-eyed and disoriented, squinting up at her through the darkness.

“Jade?”

“I’ll get this shift, Tor. Go back to sleep.”

Tori sighed softly, nestling back against the cocoon of blankets, still warm with their shared body heat. “You sure?”

Jade lifted their newborn son into her arms and instantly, the baby quieted, sniffling against his mother’s shoulder. “Yeah. I got him.”

“Hmm…thanks, hon,” Tori gave her a sleepy smile, gratitude and love evident in chocolate eyes. Only two days since they had brought the baby home, Tori’s sheer exhaustion was evident in the dark shadows under her eyes, her disheveled state. Jade figured she was little better, but she wasn’t the one who had pushed another human being out of her, for twenty hours straight. She had married a real champ, that was certain.

She kissed Tori’s forehead, tucking the covers around the smaller woman’s shoulders. The baby murmured against her neck, restless, as Tori’s breathing evened out and Jade made her way out of the bedroom, padding down the hallway toward the kitchen.

The infant cradled in one arm, she moved through the motions of preparing a bottle, rocking gently as she softly hummed.

Twenty-six and married for three years, it had been a mutual decision a little less a year before that led to Tori and Jade adding on to their little family. With Tori just coming off a fantasy-drama movie trilogy that had firmly established her career, the well-deserved hiatus she was planning on became one devoted to motherhood when she decided she wished to carry her and Jade’s first child. The first procedure, involving Jade’s egg fertilized by a donor and implanted into Tori, had successfully taken, and Skylar Tomás West gave screaming and howling into the world nine months later.

Jade checked the temperature of the formula mixture against her skin, shifting her squirming son on her shoulder as she went to the living room, seating herself on the couch. “Open up, bucko,” she murmured as she settled Skylar against her, pressing the bottle nipple to the child’s mouth.

He really was a tiny little thing, Jade had to admit, only eight days old. He was a beautiful child, with delicate features and caramel skin, and Jade saw so much of herself in him, in the shape of his jaw and chin, the pert little nose. Curling wisps of fine brown hair covered his head, soft to the touch as Jade stroked her fingers through it.

“You and me, we’ve got a lot in common, junior,” Jade said softly as Skylar sucked greedily on the bottle, “Most of it involving that pretty lady sleeping down the hall. At some point, we’ve both made her life pretty hard and I get the feeling that’s not going to stop. You at least have the newborn excuse going for you. You weren’t around to see what a bit- _meanie_ I was to Mami in high school. Why she forgave me for the shi- _stuff_ I put her through, I’ll never know. If you’re going to be anything like me growing up, we better get her dam- _darn_ good presents on Mother’s Day.”

The sky-blue eyes he was named for staring up into an identical pair as Jade spoke, and though she knew logically the baby couldn’t even focus on her, let alone understand her at this point in his life, the attentiveness on his small face (or was it gas?) gave the impression otherwise. She sighed. “That’s just the kind of person your Mami is, though. Forgiving to the end. So you and I gotta make a deal, bud.”

Skylar finished the bottle off with a loud, slurping sound and Jade tilted him against her shoulder to burp him. “I’m going to need your help to look out for Mami, okay? We have to protect her from those people that want to take advantage of how good and forgiving she is.” A soft, hiccupping burb escaped the baby and Jade smiled. “I’ll teach ya to kick serious as- _fanny_ , just when Mami’s not watching, and we’ll look after her together. We’re Wests, Sky, and we’re tough as nails. Got it?”

Skylar yawned, nestling closer against her shoulder and Jade gently rubbed soothing circles against his back. His fingers closed into little fists in the fabric of her pajama shirt and he huffed, baby blues fluttering closed.

Tired as she was, Jade slumped against the sofa cushions, her jaw opened to encompass the large yawn escaping her. She laid back her head, protectively cradling the tiny body in her arms.

“And I’ll be watching out for you, too, kid. ‘Cause you’re mine, God help us. And I look after what’s mine.”


	4. Stumbling Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trials and errors of learning to walk.

“C’mon, kiddo. You can do it.”

Tori sat on the living room couch, watching attentively as fourteen-month-old Skylar slowly made his way across the floor toward Jade, her arms outstretched and her smile hopeful. “That’s right, Sky. You almost got it…”

His nose crinkled in an adorable expression of concentration, Skylar shakily rose once more to his feet as his hands groped for support on the legs of the side table before him. Jade stood less than two feet away, but there were no more structures for the boy to use to hold himself up. Completing the journey to his mother would have to be solely on his own balance.

As Skylar stumbled forward in uneven, trembling steps, both Tori and Jade watched with breathless anticipation. But the distance became too much and Skylar’s balance faltered, his progress cut short by an unceremonious fall on his bottom. Jade’s face fell as she sighed, moving to help her son right himself. “That’s okay, buddy. You’re learning.”

Tori watched disappointment shadow her wife’s eyes as the other woman took a seat beside her. “I was so sure he had it this time, Tor.”

“He’ll get it eventually, babe. He just needs time.”

“Maybe, but the doctor did say-”

Tori cut her off with a kiss, pulling back a moment later to see Skylar looking at them with wide-eyed curiosity. She playfully tweaked  the boy’s nose, earning a squeal and little hands reaching for her. “The doctor can say what he wants, Jade.” She settled Skylar into her lap, dropping a kiss to the top of his head. “Children move at their own pace.”

At the confident tone she used, Jade gave her a dubious look, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “You’ve already talked to your mother, haven’t you?”

Tori looked away, suddenly finding the top of their son’s curly-haired head fascinating. “…last week…and maybe Trina.”

Jade scoffed at the mention of her sister-in-law, who lived in New York, was on her second marriage to a wealthy music producer, and had popped out a couple of daughters who were so ridiculously like their mother Jade feared for her sanity at future family functions. “Yeah,” she said with a roll of her eyes as she lay back against the couch, Tori reclining into her, “That’s just who I want to take parenting advise from.”

“Be nice,” Tori chided as a drowsy Skylar nestled closer to her and began to drift off, Jade wrapping a protective arm around both of them. “She means well.”

Jade rolled her eyes but said nothing as she ran her fingers through chestnut hair. Tori hummed with pleasure as she leaned into the touch, her head falling back to rest against Jade’s shoulder.

Tori smiled as she let her body curl into Jade’s much like their son’s was nestled into her own. She had to wonder what her wife’s fans would think if they could see their “master of horror” like this, what would become of the reputation Jade had cultivated after moving from the stage to the movies, as a breakout writer/director of horror thrillers. “Jade West,” she whispered, tucking her head under Jade’s chin, “You’re nothing but a softie.”

Jade gave an annoyed huff, but didn’t say a single word to deny it.

xx

Later that afternoon, a cacophony of noise, a mix of excited barking and childish giggling, startled the two women cleaning up after lunch, causing them to exchange puzzled looks. They rushed for the living room, a last-minute thought keeping them from crashing into the baby gate separating the rooms.

The sight that greeted them left them nothing short of astounded. In the center of the room, Skylar West was walking, guided by the hold he had on Butterscotch’s fur. The Retriever was moving forward in slow, loping steps, mindful of the toddler clutching at his hindquarters.

Tori shook her head in wonder, as Jade groaned and slapped her hand to her forehead. “Two months,” she growled, “Two months we try to get him walking, and it’s the mutt that does it.”

Butterscotch looked at them with what Jade could only call a smug look on his furry face, gently shrugging off Skylar’s hold as he went to curl up on the floor. Tori grinned as she bent down to meet the toddling boy, moving to her in shaky but firm footsteps. She cuddled Skylar close, covering his face with comically loud kisses that left the little boy in helpless giggles.

“Does it really matter how he’s walking, just as long as he is?”

“I guess not,” Jade agreed grudgingly, kissing Skylar on the crown of his head and then a more thorough caress to Tori’s lips. Tori slipped her free arm around her neck, pulling Jade closer as they began to deepen the kiss.

Skylar made a loud, protesting sound as he found himself squeezed between them and the couple quickly broke apart, apologizing to him between laughter at the strange predicament they’d caused. The little boy glared at them indignantly, pouting before he heard “park” as Tori announced they had to go and celebrate. His baby blues lit up and he bounced around from his place at Tori’s hip. In response to his excitement, Tori and Jade looked at each other and smiled.

“Looks like we’re going to the park.”

“Don’t forget Butterscotch’s leash,” Tori commented as she began dressing Skylar in a light jacket, “I think he earned the fresh air.”

Glaring down at the aforementioned canine, if such a thought wouldn’t have made her think she was losing her mind, Jade could have sworn the dog smirked at her. “Let’s go, fur-face,” she grumbled.

Butterscotch barked excitedly, wagging his tail as he danced around their feet giddily, practically vibrating with energy even as he settled at Jade’s command to have the leash attached to his collar. Skylar giggled at his antics and as the small family moved out the door, Jade couldn’t help but smile at her boy’s laughter. Even if it was the furball that caused it.

 


	5. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goes back a little in the timeline, taking a look at Tori’s early pregnancy with Skylar and Jade’s reaction to impending parenthood.

Tori Vega-West found herself dragged, though not unwillingly, from the drowsy, floating sensation of light, dozing sleep, grounded back to reality by the barely audible sound of boots against the wooden floors. The noise was coming from downstairs, not really disturbing her as she knew it to be Jade. She sighed contently, stretching out with a laziness that could only be contributed to a good sleep.

Her sleepy gaze drifted to the end of the bed, and meeting a dozen eyes staring back at her, she screamed. Almost immediately, she could hear the crashing of Jade racing up down the hall, cursing loudly as she tripped or stumbled in her haste. The writer appeared in the doorway, breath heavy as her eyes settled on her wife with obvious panicked concern.

“Jade, what in the world?” Tori murmured, pointing to the edge of the bed.

Her worry faded to sheepishness, and Jade looked away with a light blush on her cheeks. Seated in a row along the end of the bed was half-a-dozen stuffed toys, four bears with a dog and a cow in between for variety. Six sets of glassy eyes and sewed up smiles stared back at her as Tori looked from them to the woman nearby.

“Um…sorry?”

Tori shook her head, laughing incredulously. “What did you do? Rob a toy-store?”

 “I…uh…I bought them for the kid.”

She smiled, sitting herself up more comfortably this time. “Jade, it’s a little early for that, don’t you think? Besides, newborns are tiny. A regular toy will probably dwarf him.”

“Oh,” though she tried to hide it, Jade’s face fell and Tori instantly felt terrible to ruin the enthusiasm evident in blue eyes.

“Jade, come here.” Still wearing that kicked puppy expression and trying to cover it with a scowl, Jade did as asked, shuffling across the carpet to sit beside her. Tori reached up, cupped her lover’s face and guided Jade to look at her. “This was sweet of you, Jade. We’ll just put them away until he’s a little older.”

Jade rolled her eyes and Tori was relieved to see the warmth return to her gaze. “I was out getting dinner and I saw some of them in the window. It was just a whim.”

Tori leaned her forehead against Jade’s. “He is going to be so spoiled.”

Jade brushed her lips against Tori’s temple. “You keep saying that. He?”

“Yeah. We are so having a boy.”

Jade drew back a little, cocking an eyebrow. “We are? How do you know that?”

“Mother’s intuition.”

Jade chuckled. “Speaking of mothers, how was your nap?”

“Good.”

Jade wrapped an arm around her and Tori shifted over, giving her spouse enough room to stretch out beside her. She placed her head on Jade’s shoulder and she kissed Tori’s hair.

“Are you feeling better? Cause I did bring back dinner.”

Tori leaned her head up. “Yeah, I’m feeling better. I guess that’s why they call it morning sickness, huh?” She kissed Jade’s cheek. “I found the tea and toast you left me this morning. Thank you.”

“Did it help?”

“It stayed down better than anything else.”

Jade nodded. “I did some reading. There are some herbal teas that are supposed to help settle your stomach, but it was hard to find one without caffeine, so I hope it tasted okay. And I looked at some of the pamphlets the doctor gave us. It said you were going to feel sick for a few months, but it was important to try and keep down a steady diet if you could. Losing weight could be really bad for the baby-” She cut off as she took in the soft, amused look Tori was giving him. “What?”

“Nothing,” she smiled, “I was just thinking of how sweet you are.” Right on cue, Jade’s cheeks went pink and Tori stifled a giggle. This was a side to her wife that others rarely had the chance to see, the sweet, thoughtful, dedicated spouse and mother-to-be. “How much have you read?”

“Um…I may have read a few things once or twice.”

Still amused, Tori couldn’t help but ask. “What would that be exactly?”

Purposely avoiding her eyes, Jade climbed out of the bed, rummaged through a nearby messenger bag and handed her the book. Reading the title, Tori laughed. “’What to Expect When You’re Expecting’?”

Jade shrugged. “The woman at the bookstore showed me a bunch of stuff, but I didn’t have much cash on me. This was the only one that sounded familiar.” Trying to distract her attention from the memory of how out of place she felt asking questions and the more amused the saleswoman seemed to be the more confused she became, Jade turned back to her bag. “Oh, I got you something else. I think we forgot about the prescription from the doc in all the excitement.”

Tori smiled once again- she couldn’t seem to stop doing that- as Jade handed her a bottle of prenatal vitamins, “Thank you,” She got up, kissing Jade’s cheek once more as she passed. “You’re going to make an amazing mother, Jade West.”

She delighted in the way Jade blushed again as Tori brushed by her, casually asking, “So, what are we having? I’m starving.”

 


	6. Balancing Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade is a sucker for her kid, and he knows it. Good things they have Tori.

There were certain things about herself that Jade West would never speak of, never admit to anyone but herself, if even then. One of those things was how whipped she was in regards to her wife (she suspected Tori knew as much, but thankfully rarely took advantage of the fact, much to Jade’s relief). Another was how completely her son had her wrapped around his little finger (of which Skylar was _completely_ aware, and utilized).

xx

Skylar was two, and Jade had an armful of squirming little boy, Skylar squealing with delight as she tickled him. Jade herself was grinning, her fingers gently but mercilessly playing over the boy’s sides. Eventually, he made a discontented whimper indicating he had had enough and she eased off, combing the curls away from the child’s flushed face, smiling down at him tenderly. Skylar returned the gesture with a grin, holding up his arms. “Noogles, Momma!”

Recognizing his version of “snuggles”, the word Tori used for hugs (one Jade would never be caught dead saying), Jade gently lifted Skylar into her arms, cradling him against her as she stood and made her way to the nearest chair.

A familiar sensation spread through her like wildfire, a mix of bemusement and warmth as she held her son, a fact that still awed her even nearly three years after his conception. Her mouth curved into a small smile as she cradled the toddler close, closing her eyes as he murmured against her shoulder, nuzzling against her.

This feeling, this…protectiveness, the want to hold and comfort and treasure, all of which had been present since the moment he was born. It was all the things she felt for Tori, magnified exponentially for this perfect little human who shared half her genes. “What is it about you?” she said softly, hating the shaky quality to her own voice as she stared down at the child in her arms, peacefully drowsy and oblivious to her inner workings. “You wreck me, kiddo.” She rolled her eyes, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle. “And I don’t think that’s gonna change any time soon.”

xx

Skylar was three and they were on their way out after a routine doctor’s appointment. Skylar was cranky and pouting, both from the shot he had received and the wait that had gone through his naptime. Despite his usual protests of being a big boy, and the way Jade and Tori had been trying to encourage his independence, he had insisted on being carried.

Seeing him so obviously tired and after a round of soothing tears in the doctor’s office, she hadn’t protested, scooping him up as she headed to the car. Skylar rested his head in the crook of her neck, grumbling all the while. When she heard something remarkably like Doctor Rivers being a poopie-head, she snorted, and while knowing she should reprimand him, she couldn’t help but smirk a little. Tori constantly pointed out ways Skylar was like Jade, not just in looks but attitude and manner as well. It was moments like this when it tended to show.

However, despite her amusement, she kept her voice firm. “Skylar, we don’t call people names.”

“Doctor Whivers hurt,” he countered petulantly.

“Doctor Rivers was only doing his job, Sky. Shots hurt for a little while, but they keep you from getting sick.”

She heard her son sigh, defeated. “Kay. Sowwy, Momma.”

“It’s alright, kiddo.” It wasn’t like she was that big a fan of the doctor, either. Rivers was a rather pretentious ass in her opinion, the opposite of Skylar’s original pediatrician, who had recently retired. She’d been planning to talk to Tori about switching that night. Just because the asshole was good in his field didn’t mean Jade had to let him put his hands on her kid again. She’d seen better bedside manner from a trained monkey.

Skylar yawned and Jade smiled, smoothing her fingers through his hair. “You must be tuckered out, little man. You take a nap on the way home and by the time you wake up, Mami will be home and it’ll be time to eat.”

Skylar stirred, snuffling against her neck. “No nap.”

Typical, and Jade found herself smiling again. Though she knew she herself was all kinds of stubborn, there was something about Skylar’s particular brand of obstinacy that was pure Tori. Their lack of biological relationship didn’t matter, there was just something in the wrinkle of his nose, the resolute way he stared you down, and when that didn’t work, batted his eyelashes to get his way. She’d seen Tori use the same tactics during the hundreds of squabbles they’d had in their twelve years together.

“Momma, I wan’ ice cweam.”

And here came the eye-batting stage.

Jade sighed. “No can do, kid. Mami would kill me if you spoiled your dinner. Besides, you’d never go to sleep tonight, and Momma needs her Vega time.”

The last part was mumbled, but he was definitely listening, given the way his face lit up at the idea of never going to sleep. Then he pulled out the show stopper: pleading baby blues, feathered over by thick lashes any girl was sure to be envious of when he got older, and a pouting lip. “Pwease, Momma?”

Jade groaned.

The knowing way Tori looked at her and Skylar that night made Jade feel all the guiltier when Skylar just picked at his dinner. And when he spent half the night bouncing off the walls, Tori tossed her spouse a blanket and pillow, making a pointed comment about not letting their son break anything. As she made herself a bed on the couch, Jade gave her wife’s retreating form with a longing look, while trying to wrestle down her hyperactive three-year-old.

Looks like she wouldn’t be getting any Vega time after all.

xx

Skylar was four, and though she loved him dearly, more than life itself, he was wearing on Jade’s already frayed nerves.

She had spent most of the weekend shut away in her office. The studio who had signed on to her latest movie was pushing for production to begin within the next week, despite her protests that the screenplay still needed editing and reworking. The producers had set a demanding deadline, not the first time Jade had been presented with an impossible challenge because the industry bigwigs felt the need to throw their weight around when presented with someone of Jade’s age and repute. Just shy of thirty, she had twelve movies under her belt, eight of which were award-winning. It was a lot for Jade to live up to her own reputation.

Jade wearily looked down at her son. The boy was dramatically pouting, his blue eyes wide for emphasis as he held up the soccer ball in his hands. “Momma, come play!”

Jade sighed. “Little man, I already told you. Momma’s busy. I can’t play right now.”

The pout deepened, his lower lip starting to tremble, and Jade knew she was in trouble. The past two days had been spent turning down similar requests, sequestered away as she worked, only stopping to eat and sleep when Tori forcefully dragged her away. She always made time for Skylar, and she knew this sudden absence was confusing him. But the commitment was made and the money was needed. She sighed again. “Sky…”

“Skylar Tomás, you know you’re not allowed in here when Momma’s working.”

Tori’s voice filled the office and both Wests turned their heads to see her standing in the doorway. Her stance was firm, arms folded across her chest as she looked at them with an authoritative expression. “Skylar,” she prompted.

The boy shuffled toward her, his head hanging as he deliberately dragged his feet. But Tori was familiar with this routine by now, and half-amused, half-reproachful, she gently nudged her son to her side, cupping his chin to tilt his head up so their eyes met. His frown was more petulant than hurt and Tori smiled, smoothing back his tousled curls.

“Sky, baby, why don’t you go to the backyard and play? Scotch is back there, and Mami will be there soon.”

“Scotchie!”

Skylar raced out of the room, bright and happy once more, and Jade let out a relieved breath. Tori moved up behind her, massaging the tense muscles of her wife’s neck and shoulder, and Jade let her head fall back with an appreciative groan.

“Thanks, Tor.”

“No problem,” They stayed that way for several moments until Tori worked out a practically difficult knot. Tori straightened up, pecking Jade’s lips before pressing another kiss to her temple. “I’ll bring you dinner in a couple hours, babe.”

Jade fell back into her chair and cracked her knuckles, grinning as she got back to work.

Yes, Jade West was a sucker for her kid, and yes, he knew it. But Tori was always there to keep them in check, to help keep Jade from spoiling their boy to the point of detriment, to encourage Skylar to embrace the independence appropriate for his age.

Another thing Jade West wasn’t keen to admit to the world, but didn’t try that hard to hide. How utterly she adored her wife, and Tori’s ability to keep her in balance.

 


	7. Mischief Abound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family antics and happy news.

“Horsey! Horsey, Momma!”

Jade West grinned as Skylar’s exuberant shout echoed through the air, followed by gleeful laughter as she bent forward to allow the child to launch onto her back.

Jade leapt back up, jostling the boy up and down, eliciting wild giggling from her son. “Horsey! Horsey!”

"Skylar! Mrs. West!"

Both Wests glanced back balefully to see the head of Skylar's nursery school, a tall, wiry woman with glasses perched upon the end of a hawk-like nose, her stern countenance furthered by thin lips twisted into a disapproving frown as she shook a finger at them. "Please, Mrs. West, refrain from such horseplay on school grounds."

Though she inwardly rolled her eyes, Jade nodded submissively, not wanting to cause trouble at her boy’s school. Looking down at the smaller guilty party, sporting a properly repentant expression (like so many other things, Skylar had clearly inherited her acting skills), the woman gave them a satisfied nod, turning away to shout at a nearby group of children.

Jade craned her head back to look at her son, her expression changing into an exaggerated imitation of the teacher’s stern visage and her wagging finger. Skylar broke out in a fit of snickers. Jade slipped her hand over the boy’s mouth, making shushing sounds in fear of rousing the demonic woman’s attention once more.

His eyes wide, Skylar continued to giggle and Jade couldn’t help but laugh as well, giving him a wink. “Let’s get out of here, kiddo. We don’t want to be late.”

xx

“Sky-Sky!”

“Der-der!”

Exclamations rang through the air as Skylar West and Derek Harris caught sight of each other from across the small park, the “cousins” eagerly running to get to the other. Hugs, laughter and excited chatter ensued as Andre leisurely strolled up to the bench Tori was sitting on, giving her a warm smile as he seated himself beside her. “Hey, chica.”

“What’s up, Dre?” She leaned over to hug him.

“Nothing much. The monster’s just a step away from putting himself in a sugar coma. Mia practically kicked me out the door so I could let him run it off.”

Tori laughed as she looked over at the playing boys, noticing three-year-old Derek was nearly running circles around the older Skylar. “How is Mia? Kids running her ragged?”

“Yeah,” Andre grinned, “But she gives as good as she gets. Vanessa’s getting to be just like her, and Der and I don’t stand a chance against them.”

Tori laughed lightly. “I have no doubt. How’s the pregnancy going?”

“Wonderful. We just found out it’s a boy.”

Tori squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around his neck. He chuckled and returned her hug. “Congratulations, Andre!” She drew back, giving him a wry look. “Guess this means you can finally get off that idea about naming this one after me.”

Andre arched an eyebrow. “What makes you think that? Victor’s just as good as Victoria.”

Tori groaned and turned her head, looking for a change of subject. “Skylar, baby, why don’t you come say hi?”

Skylar obeyed, giving Derek his hand as both boys trekked back to the adults, Skylar releasing the younger so he could give his uncle a greeting squeeze. “Hiya, Uncle Dre! I missed you.”

“Missed you too, buddy.” Andre ruffled his hair. “You been behaving yourself for your moms?”

“Yep,” Skylar said, plopping himself down between his uncle and mother, Derek hopping up into his father’s lap. The boy was about to speak again when his attention was diverted by Jade’s appearance before them.

“Hey Andre, how’s it going?”

Andre smiled in greeting as Skylar cheered when he caught sight of the two ice creams in his momma’s hands. “Not bad. How about you, West?”

Jade shrugged as she handed off the treats, chocolate for Skylar, strawberry for Tori. Skylar immediately dug into his, happily piping up beneath mouthfuls, “Thank you, Momma Jadey!!”

Jade blinked at the nickname, narrowing her eyes in Tori’s direction. Her wife stared back at her, the very picture of innocence. “Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with it.”

Skylar looked up at the woman beside him. “But Mami, you said Momma would like it.”

Tori winced and Jade’s dark look became a glare. “Vega,” she growled, “You’ve got to the count of three.”

Tori’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”

“One.”

“Seriously, Jade.”

“Two.”

Realizing she was serious, Tori thrust her cone into a bewildered Andre’s hand. “Hold that.” With that, she leapt to her feet.

“Three!”

They took off.

Tori bolted away, quick with her long legs and light weight. But Jade was a decent runner, quickly gaining on her as they raced across the grass. Tori pulled a sharp turn to the right, throwing Jade off balance. She cursed under her breath as she faltered against the wet grass, catching herself as she slid to one knee. She regained her footing, scowling at the smirking Tori standing a few feet away, hands on her hips as she watched Jade amusedly. “Ready to give up, West?”

“Not even close, Vega. We’ll see how quick you can get away on those chicken legs of yours.”

And once more, away they went.

With time, they came to one of the center fountains, finally at a stalemate as they circled around and around, neither willing to give in. As Jade neared, Tori pulled a turnabout, looking to take off in the opposite direction. Jade cut her off, however, and seeing her chance, she pounced. Tori squealed with surprise as Jade caught her around the waist, hefting her over her shoulder.

Tori protested loudly, pounding on Jade’s back as she trekked back across the park. Tori’s irritation only rose as she felt her wife shaking with laughter and she retaliated by biting down hard on Jade’s back. Jade grunted with the brief pain, reaching up to chidingly slap Tori’s thigh. “Behave,” she said sternly.

Tori sputtered with indignation. “Are you serious?! I cannot believe you, Jade. Put me down!”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Caught off guard by Jade’s sudden acquiescence, Tori craned up her neck to look at her suspiciously, eyes widening as she realized they were dangerously close to the shore of the duck pond. “Jade West, don’t you dare!”

She just knew Jade was smirking. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You throw me in that water and I’ll never talk to you again.”

Jade shrugged. “My life would be a hell of a lot quieter.”

Tori panicked, realizing just how serious Jade was. “Jade, don’t! You might hurt the baby!”

Jade froze and Tori suddenly realized her slip of tongue. Gently, Jade lowered Tori to her feet, placing hands against the Latina’s hips to steady her. “Tori?”

Tori nervously bit her lip. “Remember that thing we did last month?”

Jade raised an eyebrow. “I thought it didn’t take.”

“False negative. I went back to the doctor as soon as I suspected otherwise,” she shyly looked up at the other woman through her lashes, “I wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday. Are you mad?”

“No, I-“ she paused, her eyes narrowing with a sudden thought. “What were you thinking, letting me chase you around like that?”

Tori did her best imitation of mimicking her spouse’s infamous eyebrow raise. “This from the woman who used to jump out of airplanes?”

Jade shrugged. The skydiving was an old pastime that was just that, past. She’d picked up the habit from an old stuntman acquaintance. Tori had put an end to her fun as soon as Skylar was born, citing the need for their son to grow up with both parents still upright and breathing. She shrugged again, uncomfortably rubbing at the back of her neck. “So we’re having another kid?” At Tori’s hesitant nod, she let out a shaky sigh. “Okay.”

“Okay? Is that good?” Tori questioned dubiously.

“Good. Amazing. Spectacular. Mind-blowing. Fantastic. Perfect. I…” Jade trailed off self-consciously, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she realized she was rambling. “I’m running out of adjectives,” she finished lamely.

Tori smiled, wrapped her arms around Jade’s neck to pull her head down to Tori’s. “Who needs words?” the Latina whispered coyly, before pressing her lips to her wife’s.


	8. Name Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The West family is soon to get a new addition and a name is needed.

“Madison.”

“Chloe.”

“Melanie.”

“Audrey.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Brooke.”

Jade’s lips curled into a smirk. "Gertrude."

“Jade.” Tori’s tone was warning.

Jade was unrepentant. “Maude?”

“Jade!”

“What? The kid would be unique.”

Tori rolled her eyes, trying her best to look reprimanding. “No one should be that cruel,” she stated, struggling to stifle her own smile. As Jade laughed, Tori’s efforts to keep up a chastising expression were quickly surrendered, and instead, she reveled in the soft sounds of her partner’s mirth.

Much like when Tori had been carrying Skylar, the past few months had seen Jade sweet and attentive, by her side for every moment that mattered. She ran out in the middle of the night to tend to every new craving, no matter how late or how strange. She was there at three in the morning to hold back Tori’s hair, scouring Chinatown for the best mint and ginger teas to settle her touchy stomach. As they were moving into the second trimester, it would soon be foot rubs and back massages, coddling and hovering. But most of all, it would be Jade’s protective nature kicking into overdrive, creating a serious, intense focus that made light, playful moments like this one rarer than usual. Tori treasured every moment she had her lover like this, laughing and teasing.

Tori watched as Jade idly flipped through the baby name book sitting between them, reclining back comfortably in her chair. She smiled to herself, resting a hand against the soft swell of her belly. Dating since they were seniors, it had taken a couple of years into their relationship before Jade had given her more than breadcrumb details about her childhood and family. The product of divorced, work-alcoholic parents, insecurities ran deep, defenses ran high and it had been a constant push-and-pull to reach a place where they came to mean as much to each other as they did. It both awed and humbled Tori to see how far her wife had come since then, embracing the role of protector and provider as naturally as she did the stage and the set.

A flick of a finger against her ear startled her from her reflections and Tori leveled an annoyed look in her mate’s direction, earning a faux innocent expression in return. “Planet Earth calling to Tori Vega. Tori Vega, come in.”

“Tori Vega- _West_ ,” came the reply and Jade snorted, resting an arm across the back of Tori’s chair as she continued to peruse through the book. “Hannah Grace,” she offered, testing out the sounds as she spoke.

Tori cocked her head, considering. "Hannah means grace, right? The double meaning is nice, but it might be overkill."

Jade nodded, conceding her point. "True." She hummed thoughtfully, flipping another page. "How about Jordan?"

Tori wrinkled her nose, plucking a thick chuck of sliced melon from the bowl beside her. Fresh fruit had been probably the most consistent craving through both her pregnancies, and Jade (at her own insistence) spent so much time at the chopping board Tori worried she would end up with carpal tunnel. “Jordan, like Michael Jordan?” she asked between bites, “I didn’t know we were raising ball players.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “Michael….Michaela? Michelle?”

Jade made a face. “No. And no. I do like Michael, though. We can save it for the next one if it’s a boy.” She missed the look of delighted surprise that flashed over Tori’s face at her words, instead stealing a pineapple cube. “Besides, that wasn’t what I meant. I was referencing the River Jordan. It says here," she pointed to the printed passage she was referring to, "It means to descend, or flow. This baby is a new life and like life, her existence from now on is going to be ever-changing, ever-flowing. Just like the river."

Tori was silent for a long moment, staring at her wife with quiet awe. "You know, sometimes I forget just how brilliant you are."

Light color dusted Jade’s cheeks and Tori leaned in to kiss the shy smile that ghosted over her mouth, the sweetness of the fruit lingering on both their lips. And with Skylar staying the night at his grandparents, Jade didn’t hesitate to respond to the invitation in dark eyes, holding out a hand to draw her wife to her feet before they moved down the hall to their room.


	9. Sleep Tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad dreams and Momma Jade to the rescue.

“Momma!”

Jade West was startled awake by the shrill, frightened scream echoing through her home. Fear wrapping around her heart in an icy grip, her instincts flared to life as she fought against the mental fog lingering from sleep to find the source of the sound.

Tori shifted besides her, her warmth pressing against Jade’s side, reassuringly putting a hand on her arm. “Jade, calm down. He was having nightmares the whole time you were gone last week. It’s probably just that.”

Jade gave her a questioning look. “I thought he was okay. We Skyped every day. He seemed fine.”

Tori sighed. “He was putting on a brave face, babe. I promised not to tell you as long as he did later.”

Jade frowned. “I don’t understand. He never has that kind of trouble when you go away.”

Tori smiled, palming her wife’s cheek. “Because I’m not his hero. I can’t keep the monsters away like you can.”

Turning into the familiarity of Tori’s touch, Jade’s eyes widened. “Hero?”

“Mmm-hmm. His strong, fierce Momma Bear he knows will do anything to protect him.”

With Jade glad for the cover of darkness to hide her blush, she accepted Tori’s kiss before she climbed out of bed, watching the Latina nestle comfortably into the warmth she left behind.

Jade made her way down the hall to their son’s bedroom, the light from the corridor casting a glow over the shaking little body curled into a ball on the bed. A lump rose up in her throat. “Sky.”

Skylar looked up at her with wide blue eyes wet with tears, glistening in the pallid light against his Latin caramel skin. His lips trembled as he bit back a sob and Jade’s heart ached, rushing in to sweep the boy into her arms. She held him protectively in her lap, arms tight around his little frame as Skylar burrowed as close as he could get to his momma’s reassuring presence.

“Hey, little man, what happened? Why are you crying?”

Skylar shivered in the encasement of his mother’s arms, and Jade wrapped the blanket snugly around him, smoothing back russet curls away from his face. “What is it, Sky? What was so scary?”

“I had a bad dream.”

“What was it about?”

Small fingers curled almost painfully into the fabric of Jade’s tank-top as the child’s face went even paler than before. Jade tightened her hold around her son, settling the boy’s head on her shoulder, her hands tracing soothing circles across his back. “It’s okay, kiddo, it’s okay, little man. Momma’s here now. I won’t let anything hurt you. So will you tell me what the bad dream was about?”

“You went away again, Momma. You-you went away and I called to you, whole bunches of times. I called your name again and again, but you never looked back at me.” Skylar peered up at Jade with those identical eyes, his wide and pleading. “Momma, did I do something bad? Is that why you keep going away? Are you gonna leave for good now?”

Any beating, injury, and trauma Jade could ever experience in her life, all of them paled dramatically in comparison to the pain she felt in response to her son’s innocent and frightened question. “Oh, Sky. You know I only go away because it’s my job, buddy.” She leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on the child’s brow.

 

“I would never, ever leave you alone. Most definitely not because you did something. You could never do something to make me leave you. I’m your momma, Sky. Mommas stick with their boys.”

His mother spoke with such conviction and seriousness that Skylar couldn’t help but not solemnly. “Do you promise, Momma?”

With a smile, Jade held out her hand. “Yep, it’s a deal.” Skylar flashed a toothy grin and returned the handshake, and returned the handshake.

Jade leaned forward until she and her son were nose to nose, causing their vision to become cross-eyed, “That’s a promise, alright?”

“Alright!”

Jade’s smile faded, as he suddenly remembered the reason for her son’s distress. Since Skylar had been born, Tori had spent more time in the music studio than on the movie set, keeping her mostly in LA for work. It was Jade that had taken to traveling for work, especially now with Tori eight months pregnant with their next child. Jade didn’t necessarily like it, but the money was good and needed to support them their growing family, especially if Skylar was going to attend the private academy Tori was so keen on next year.

What Jade hadn’t realized, however, was how her absences were affecting their son.

“Hey, little man, I’ll tell you what. Starting next week, I’m going to take a nice long vacation, all right? Then you’ll have me at your mercy for the whole time. How does that sound?”

Skylar threw his arms around his mother’s neck in his excitement and giving a chuckle of amusement, Jade reached up to ruffle his hair, holding him close. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?”

“You bet!”

 

Jade knew motherhood had turned her to mush, making her putty in this precious boy’s hands, but she could never bring herself to care. She was certain the sunshine could never outshine the radiance of her son’s smile.

Unwrapping the arms from around her neck, Jade expertly and effortlessly lifted the small weight from her lap as she rose to his feet, swinging the child down into the bed. She pulled the covers up snug over him.

“It’s time to get some sleep, now, little man. Mami would kill me if she knew how late I kept you up.”

Giving his best effort to hide a yawn, Skylar looked up at her thoughtfully. “Mami’s tired,” he informed her matter-of-factly.

“She is, Sky. Carrying a baby does that to mommies. She’ll be tired for a while. Are you excited about the baby? You’re gonna be a big brother soon.”

“Uh-huh,” he said sleepily, watching his mother through half-lidded eyes. “I’m gonna have a ‘lil sister.”

Smoothing back his hair against his forehead, Jade smiled. “Get some rest, son. It’ll be morning soon.”

Just as she was preparing to leave the room, the small voice thick with sleep called out to her once more. “Momma?”

“Yes, kiddo?”

“I got a name for my sister.”

“What is it?”

Another yawn. “Hope. Mami said that a baby born is worth a world of hope.”

Another smile touched Jade’s lips, unable to help herself. “Hope is a great name, little man. Go to sleep now.”

“I love you, Momma.”

“I love you, too, Sky.”

As she crawled back into the welcoming warmth and comfort of her neglected bed, her wife’s sleeping form instinctually nestled against her. Wrapping her arms around Tori to pull her closer, Jade drifted into a peaceful and drea


	10. New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby Girl West comes into the world.

He could hear Mami screaming.

Grandma Holly was holding his hand tightly, keeping from getting up and running to her like he wanted to. Grandpa David and Uncle Dre were standing nearby, looking stressed, Aunt Mia sitting across from him and Abuela, holding three-month-old Victor. Uncle Dre had said Nessa and Derek were with their grandma and grandpa, but Vic was still little enough that Aunt Mia wanted him with her.

Mommy screamed again and his young face screwed up in sympathy. He tugged on Grandma’s hand, whining when she wouldn’t let him go. She shushed him, turning back to watch that strange door that everyone’s attention. He knew that door would lead to him to Mami and most likely Momma too.

Skylar pulled again at Grandma and she gave him an exasperated look, but she wasn’t the only one irritated. Tears spilled into his eyes and he struggled to get away, “Let me go. Let me help Mami!!”

Grandpa’s arms wrapped around his writhing body, soft words seeking to soothe him, but Skylar would have none of it. He squirmed and fought, but Grandpa’s grip was secure.

“Let me go,” he wailed, “I need’a help Mami!”

Grandpa held him tight, shaking his head. “Skylar, calm down. You can’t go in there.”

“But Mami!”

“The doctors are doing everything they can, son. Just have faith.”

He would catch bits and pieces he didn’t really understand later on from the grown-ups’ conversations, talk of the baby breeching, a C-section narrowly avoided.

He didn’t really care about any of that, Momma had come out of that room, sweaty and tired, but grinning. Shortly after, Momma led him to the place Mami and the baby was resting.

She was tiny, red and wrinkled. Kind of ugly, actually. Skylar arched an eyebrow in a mimic of his momma, looking at his parents dubiously. Cautiously, with their encouragement, he reached out, touching one of the squirming feet sticking out from the blankets.

And everything changed.

For years he wouldn’t understand it, could never really understand, but instantly, he felt it. It was warm and fuzzy and safe, wrapping around him with love and adoration and hope. It filled something in him, completed something in his young heart he hadn’t realized was missing until that moment.

“Hi, Jordan. I’m your big brother Skylar.”

xx

Weary almost to the point of collapse, it was nearing one in the morning as Jade made her back to her wife’s hospital room, just having seen off her in-laws and exhausted firstborn. She found Tori quietly nursing their daughter, Tori keeping up a low hum to soothe the infant. Standing in the doorway, Jade took in a deep breath and released it in a shuddering rush.

She had never been more scared in her life than she had been earlier that afternoon. After Tori’s easy enough labor with Skylar, the difficulties that had marred this one shook Jade to the core. Jordan had been breech, the pain the complications had caused Tori had been excruciating, and the panic that followed was petrifying. By some miracle, the doctor had managed to turn the baby in time and she was delivered safely. Now, half-a-day later, mother and child were resting peacefully.

The humming stopped and Tori’s brown eyes opened as Jade came to her bedside. Jade reached out, brushing back stray curls as Tori smiled at her. “Hi,” the Latina said softly, pale and tired but still looking radiant.

“Hi yourself.”

Tori stroked the baby’s back, holding the other hand out to her wife. “Come on.”

Jade hesitated, knowing exactly what her wife wanted. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll move slow,” Tori promised with a coaxing smile, “Now get over here.”

With a sigh, Jade gave in and moved closer. Jordan made soft sounds of protest as Tori lifted her away. “Hush, baby girl. We’re just adjusting a little,” Tori soothed, gently handing the baby off to her partner. Jade cradled her daughter against her shoulder, soft, warm and delicate in a way only babies could be. Tori slowly and carefully scooted forward with only a slight grimace of pain, until there was enough room for what she wanted.

Jordan changed hands again and Jade slid in behind them, supporting Tori and baby as they leaned back. Tori brought the newborn back to her breast, supporting Jordan’s head as she began to hungrily suckle. Tori laughed softly. “She’s a West, alright. Enthusiastic for her food.”

Jade slipped her arms around her wife and daughter, holding them safe and close. She had done the same with Tori and Skylar throughout their son’s infancy, her way of sharing the bonding and closeness.

She stroked the back of Jordan’s neck in a way had always calmed Skylar as a baby, pressing a kiss to Tori’s temple. They lay there in content silence, only broken by the soft sounds of Jordan’s nursing.


	11. Adjustment Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skylar is none too enthused at his new baby sister at first.

Skylar was furious. For the second weekend in a row, Momma had canceled their special time together to stay home with Mami. Normally he wouldn’t mind, he wanted to stay with Mami too when she wasn’t feeling well. But it was the baby that had been making Mami sick (he still didn’t really understand, how there could be a baby inside Mami. That bump in her tummy was supposed to be proof. He didn’t really get it, but because Momma and Mami said it was so, it must be true) and that made him resentful instead of sympathetic. First the nature museum, then the children’s festival, all because of that stupid baby.

While the younger West sat fuming in his bedroom, Jade was standing in the doorway, peering worriedly at her son, obviously deep in a rare fit of temper. “Hey, little man, come on. Why don’t you talk to me?”

“Leave me alone!! G’back to Mami and the baby. You want it more than me!”

Jade’s eyes widened as understanding set in. She remembered (vaguely, as she’d only been about five) having a similar reaction when her brother, James, had been born. Sighing to herself, she grabbed the pouting boy and sat him on her knee, quietly and patiently explaining that adding to their family didn’t mean Skylar was any less special to his parents, that she was sorry she hadn’t been making time for him. Not to mention, just imagine all the cool things Skylar could teach the baby when it got older.

Working further to appease the considering boy, Jade playfully ruffled his hair and smiled. Really, there was something unfairly cute about the kid when he pouted. “You know what Mami was just telling me before I came in here? She said I hover too much. She actually kicked me out of the house until dinner. You wanna join me? We can still hit the festival.”

Skylar grinned, jumping off her lap and tugging on her arm to hurry out of the room. Jade laughed and followed along dutifully. She was ready to follow his lead into anything, short of something life-threatening, if it made up for her unintentional neglect.

From that point on, Skylar was delighted. Not only did he have his momma back, but he was getting a little brother or sister out of the deal. Life couldn’t have been better.

xx

_Several months later…_

Both of them stared, neither of them willing to break in their battle of wills. The creature blinked, once, twice, staring innocently ahead to lock their gazes.

Skylar merely blinked in response.

“Sky, what are you doing?”

The four-year-old blinked once more, startled out of his intense focus by the quiet sound of his mother’s voice. Quizzically, he raised his head to meet the identical blue eyes of the woman standing in the doorway.

Jade leaned against the doorframe of the nursery, regarding her son with a mixture of interest, puzzlement, and concern. “What are you doing, kiddo? How long has Jordan been awake?”

Skylar said nothing in response to his mother’s question, only shrugging his shoulders as he turned back to the crib. Jade gave another puzzled frown. Since they had brought Jordan home a few days before, Skylar’s actions had taken a strange turn regarding her newborn sister. Skylar made no move to touch or even approach the baby since that first introduction, yet spent most of his time doing nothing more than staring. Both Tori and Jade were at the end of their ropes trying to figure out the situation.

The object of Skylar’s fascination made her presence known then, with a loud squall. Jade couldn’t help when her frown softened into a warm smile, moving to peer down at her daughter. Jordan gurgled at what to her was probably a blur of shape and color, reaching up with waving arms. Jade lifted her up, cradling the tiny body close as she looked back at her son.

“Since she’s awake, let’s go back downstairs, Sky.  Will you grab her blanket for me?”

Skylar did as asked and trekked after his mother. Before long, Jade had Jordan settled in her swing, turning the crank to settle the chair into a gentle back-and-forth.  Skylar took a seat nearby, still and passive as stone as he retook his vigil of watching his sister.

Jade let herself fade into the background, moving to the doorframe. Her eyes fluttered closed with appreciation as she inhaled, her nose filling with the alluring aromas coming from the kitchen. Keeping one eye on the children, she turned her head just enough to project her voice to her wife.  “Is that stir-fry?”

Tori looked up at her, startled out of her concentration, her surprise quickly replaced by a grin. “Yep. I know you like your vegetables. How you got our son to do the same, I’ll never know.”

Jade cocked her head to observe the other woman’s Kiss The Cook apron. Glancing back at the kids, she obeyed direction, catching her wife off-guard with a quick, but far from chaste, kiss. Tori hummed contently as they parted, and Jade smiled, leaning down for one more peck. “It smells great, by the way.”

Tori looked away, her cheeks faintly stained with color. Ever the modest one. Jade smirked, enjoying the blush. “Thanks. I’ve picked up a few handy things over the years.”

“Haven’t we all? Jordan’s up, by the way.”

Tori smiled, as she turned her attention back to the beef and peppers sizzling on the wok. “Yeah? And Skylar’s taken up his vigil, I take it?”

Jade groaned. “I don’t get it, Tor. I really don’t.”

Tori looked at her wryly, pointing toward the living room with her spatula. “We’re parents, Jade. Did you really expect to understand our kids?”

“Not really. But I figured I’d at least have until he was a teenager.”

xx

Skylar blinked.

Jordan blinked in return. Sort of. He really wasn’t sure what it was she was seeing.

At first glance, Skylar had not known what to make of this squirming bundle of energy his mothers had introduced to him. He’d wanted a boy after all, and this thing was just so little and whiny, what was he supposed to do with her?

But even so, he felt strange about this little thing, his sister, as if something about her was supposed to be different. Most boys would not have understood such a reaction to this girl-child, struck by awe and a strange wave of protectiveness whenever he caught sight of a tiny angel. She seemed so small, so fragile like his grandmother’s precious china, and he was so afraid that with one touch he would break her.

His mommies reassured him otherwise, and Skylar always believed his beloved parents. Before he could hesitate again, his body acted of its own accord. Slowly, his young face full of uncertainty, he reached out his hand, startled by the soft touch that met him as tiny fingers wrapped around his own.

The next time Jade checked on them, her son was fully occupied in playing with his little sister, his solemn little face bright with a radiant smile.


	12. Sibling Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skylar and Jordan have their first fight.

“Sky-lar!”

A blur tore through the kitchen, followed quickly by the source of the irritated scream that had echoed through the household only moments before. Little Jordan West rounded the corner, intent on her prey as fast as her short legs would carry her. Tori shared a half-amused, half-exasperated look with her wife, as Jade moved to intercept their son before he did himself harm.

 “Umph.” Nine-year-old Skylar collided into his momma, restrained from falling over by the arm that locked across his back. Just behind them, Tori caught her flailing five-year-old daughter. She was a beautiful little girl who took after Tori in many regards, with doe brown eyes and russet hair plaited back into twin braids. Her normally easygoing manner and bright smile were suspiciously absent, her fair little face flushed with fury as she glared at her brother with all the force her young mind could muster.

Tori was less amused when her struggling daughter tried to aim a considerably hard kick at her leg. “Jordan Esperanza West, what has gotten into you?!”

Brown eyes blazed with promised wrath as they bore into a defiant Skylar, and Jordan looked up at her mother with a petulant pout, pointing an accusing finger in her brother’s direction. “He did it, Mami! He made my dolly blue!”

Tori’s jaw dropped at the accusation, staring downward as the girl as she tried to relate such a thing with rational thinking. It was in that moment that she finally recognized the bundle her daughter carried tucked beneath her arm. What was once a plastic replica of a young girl-child, complete with pink and frilly clothing, blue glass eyes, and long locks of artificial blond hair, was now completely dyed in a vibrantly dark blue, hair, skin, and all.

Tori looked toward the supposed culprit, thoroughly unrepentant in the stubborn way he raised his chin, arms crossed across his chest. His prideful stance would have been comical in any other circumstance, dressed as he was in his private school uniform, wrinkled and tousled, his hair an unkempt mess and some kind of dirt smeared across one cheek. His hands, however, were stained a tell-tale blue.

Jade stood behind her son, both hands locked on Skylar’s shoulders, her expression promising future punishment for the boy even if she was allowing Tori to presently handle the situation. Tori sighed, looking to Skylar for an explanation. “Sky? You dyed her doll?”

Skylar nodded, staring up at his mother with a curious expression. “Uh-huh. She didn’t have to get so mad, Mami. It was just a joke. For April Fool’s Day.”

“Skylar, there’s a difference between playing a joke and being mean. You crossed that line. You need to apologize to Jordan.”

Skylar rolled his eyes, glaring over his shoulder at his momma as he shrugged her hands. “Fine,” he huffed, “Sorry, Jordan.”

Jordan glared at him darkly. “’Pology not ‘cepted.” Tears spilled into her eyes, but Jordan stubbornly turned her head away and stomped out of the room, a choked sob heard before the girl disappeared around the corner.

Tori stared, her eyes wide, not having expected the show of stubborn pride in either child. “Jordan…” She shook her head, sending her spouse a helpless glance before starting after their daughter.

Once they had gone, Jade turned her attention back to the guilty party, her expression stern and stony in a way that would have unnerved the boy’s defiance away had the stubborn look not already melted away, replaced by shadows of shame. “I…I didn’t mean to make her cry, Momma.”

Jade sighed. “I know, Sky, but you still must have known what you were doing was wrong. What were you thinking?”

Skylar looked up with such a sad, repentant expression it was hard not to hug him close and comfort him, but Jade held her ground, waiting for an explanation. The boy rubbed the back of his neck, eyes downcast again. “I…Jay’s going to school with me now, and I thought it’d be great, Momma, like we could spend all our time together now. But she’s always playing with other kids. I just wanted…”

“You wanted to get her attention,” Jade smiled reassuringly, reaching out to briefly touch the boy’s shoulder, “I get it. I’m her mom, remember? It’s strange having to let her go a bit. But you get used to it, buddy.”

Skylar sighed, quietly agreeing, and Jade continued, “Go to your room for now, Sky. We’ll discuss your punishment later.”

The boy nodded, pausing momentarily in the doorway. “Momma?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going anywhere tonight?”

“Your mami wants me to go to the store. Why?”

“Can I come with? There’s something I want to do.”

xx

The next morning, as Jordan awoke, her eyes opened to find herself staring into a pair of glassy eyes. Pulling back to examine their source, she found a black stuffed bear resting on the pillow beside her, with a bowtie around its neck. Noticing a small slip of paper tucked into the tie, she pulled it out. It simply said, in familiar, childish scrawl: _I’m sorry_.

When Jordan came bounding into the kitchen a little later to join her mothers, her bright smile and enthusiastic hugs surprised but relieved both women. Giving the girl a smile, Jade helped her daughter to slide off her lap to sit in her own chair, sending her significant other a puzzled glance. Equally as confused, Tori shrugged, moving to the stove to dish out a plate of eggs and toast for Jordan. Receiving no revealing answer, Jade turned her attention back to her coffee and paper.

During their distraction, Skylar appeared in the doorway, cautiously watching the girl at the table. His worries proved to be unfounded, however, as Jordan launched herself right into his arms, laughing. Skylar blinked with surprise, but then smiled and returned the embrace just as tightly.

“Thank you, Skylar, thank you!!”

“You like it, Jay?”

“Yep!”

Skylar’s smile faded slightly, replaced by uncertainty. “I’m really sorry, Jordan. Do you forgive me?”

Jordan placed a finger against her chin in deliberation, ruining the seriousness of the expression when she broke out into an impish smile. “Okay. But only ‘cause it’s a nice bear. I’m gonna name him Skylie!”

The color slowly drained from Skylar’s face. “S-Skylie?”

That impish smile only kept growing. “Yep, yep! You’re Skylie now, too!”

Nearby, their mothers shook with suppressed laughter, exchanging smiles of relief that their children had come out of their first fight relatively unscathed, though perhaps with the exception of Skylar’s budding male pride.


	13. Surprise, Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Jade’s turn to experience the miracle of life…who’s brilliant idea was that anyway?

“Jade, are you sure about this? It’s not too late to change your mind.”

Jade rolled her eyes at Tori’s nervous words, staring up at the florescent lights shining above her head, reflecting obnoxiously off the pristinely white walls. It was like being surrounded in pallid, stifling monotony, she reflected, as she turned her attention back to her fidgeting wife.

“Tori, it’s fine, alright? We’ve had this same discussion a dozen times. You want another kid and I’m not letting you go through another pregnancy. This is only the way to do it.”

Tori sighed, a step away from biting her nails as Jade looked back at her flatly, nonchalant. After the problems she had delivering Jordan, Jade adamantly refused to see Tori go into labor again despite reassurances from several doctors and the woman in question. Adoption wasn’t an option given the trouble Jade had gotten herself into during their brief breakup in college, earning herself a criminal record. Besides, they had decided years ago they had wanted their children to share biological ties for several medical and legal reasons.

As frightening as the idea of a pregnant Jade was, Tori couldn’t deny the desire to have a baby around the house again. She sighed. “Fine. But please, _try_ to be nice.”

Jade smirked, her paper gown crinkling as she moved closer to where Tori sitting in a nearby chair. “Will you make it worth my while if I am?”

Tori smiled, leaning up to touch her lips to Jade’s. “Have I ever not?” Jade lifted a hand to her lover’s face, cupping Tori’s cheek as she began to deepen the kiss.

The doctor finally came in, smiling amusedly at the groan from Jade and Tori’s ruffled expression as they pulled away from one another. “Hello Mrs. and Mrs. West. Sorry to keep you waiting so long.”

“You couldn’t have waited a second longer,” Jade commented dryly, “It’s not like I would have made a break for it with my ass hanging out of this thing.”

Tori groaned, burying her face in her hands.

xx

 “Ugh! What is that _sh_ -stuff?!”

The scene at the breakfast table was this: Jade was glaring down at the mug in her hand like it was a bomb about to explode, a disgusted look on her face. Tori was staring at her wife determinedly, ready to challenge Jade the moment she recovered. Jordan was giggling, watching her brother wipe his face from where their momma unexpectedly spit out the contents of her mug.

Tori calmly handed Skylar another napkin, shushing her daughter. “It’s decaf, Jade.”

Jade glowered at the Latina, and lesser mortals would have been shaken under the force of her ire. “And why is there decaf in my favorite mug, Tori?”

“You can’t have caffeine. You know that.”

Jade’s scowl deepened and she opened her mouth to protest. Tori gave her daughter a look and Jordan scooted out of her chair, going over to her momma to climb onto the irate woman’s lap. Jade immediately softened, tilting her head down inquiringly as Jordan pleaded with big, brown Bambi eyes. “Coffee’s yucky for the baby, Momma. You don’t wanna hurt my brotha or sissie.”

Jade sighed, resigned, and wrapped an arm around her daughter, who shared a triumphant grin with her mother out of Jade’s perphieral view. “Fine. I’ll just have milk, I guess.”

xx

Tori moaned with protest as she found herself dragged from sleep…again. “Knock it off,” she groaned, batting at the hands groping her.

Insistent lips trailed kisses down her bare shoulder, fingers finding her breast, and Tori hummed with the sensations despite herself. “Wakey, wakey, Vega,” Jade whispered against her skin, “The point of a pregnant partner is to attend to _every_ need, and I’m needy.”

Tori huffed. “For the third time tonight?”

“Pregnancy hormones, babe. It’s not like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Jade said decisively as a possessive hand curled around Tori’s hip, Jade pressing up against her back.

Tori felt her face warm in a blush she honestly thought she’d have grown out of, but never did, much to Jade’s delight. Her wife wasn’t lying. During her pregnancy with Skylar, she had been all over Jade for most of her second trimester, with an anytime, anywhere policy she had never lived down.

Hiding a smile, she turned over to meet Jade’s roaming hands and demanding kisses. It was more a formality to protest, anyway. A little lost sleep was well worth the rare opportunity to see her dominant lover needy and wanting.

_Let’s see who makes who beg this time._

xx

They were in the doctor’s office at the four month mark, Jade taking care of the swell to her belly as she lay out on the table, grumbling all the way. Tori anxiously hovered next to her, holding Jade’s hand as she conversed with Dr. Borden, the same obstetrician who had delivered Skylar and Jordan and cared for Tori through the pregnancies.

Tori rolled her eyes as Jade growled at the ultrasound attendant, causing the poor girl to squeak and scurry to the other side of the room. She watched attentively as Dr. Borden rolled up Jade’s shirt to beneath her breasts, preparing the monitor and wand herself.

“Let’s get on with it, huh?” Jade snarked. Tori apologized to the doctor but the older woman was unaffected, gaining her revenge a moment later when Jade jumped at the cold gel being spread over her abdomen. Dr. Borden smirked, Jade glared, and Tori cupped a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles.

The process went on in silence, and the doctor stopped for a moment, leaning closer to study the screen. Tori’s hold on her wife’s hand tightened and even Jade looked concerned, her free hand coming up to protectively hover over her stomach.

“Dr. Borden? Is something wrong?”

The woman hummed thoughtfully, moving the wand to another position before she turned back to the fretting couple. “No, nothing’s wrong. In fact, something’s very good. Congratulations, Tori and Jade. You’re having twins.”

The loud string of expletives Jade let out at the news nearly drowned out the sound of Tori colliding with the floor, as her eyes rolled back and she fainted flat out.


	14. Playground Antics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of life’s best relationships are formed in the play-yard. The same holds for the West children.

A young boy clung shyly to the leg of his father, keeping a tight hold on his mother’s hand. She smiled down at him, gently releasing the surprisingly vise-like grip the boy had on her hand. “Honey, what’s wrong? Aren’t you excited to start at your new school?”

The boy vehemently shook his head, hiding himself further behind his father. His father frowned, his brows drawing together behind his glasses as he shared a concerned look with his wife. “Charlie…” he began, only to be cut off by the approach of a slender, middle-aged woman with a friendly face and an inviting smile.

“Good morning,” she greeted pleasantly, “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes,” Charlie heard his mother reply, “My son Charlie is supposed to start here today. We’ve settled everything at the office, but it seems he’s feeling a little shy.”

The teacher glanced down at the boy, smiling encouragingly as he peeked up at her. “Hello, Charlie. I’m Mrs. Andrews. I’m the vice principal here at the school.”

Charlie smiled bashfully and offered a barely audible, “Hi,” before he disappeared from sight again, ducking back behind his father. Mrs. Andrews shared a look with the mother before trying again to engage the boy.

“What’s wrong, Charlie? Don’t you want to join the other kids on the playground? Class won’t start for another twenty minutes yet. Plenty of time.”

Charlie shook his head in the negative, burrowing his face into the khaki of his father’s slacks. The man sighed, soothingly running a hand through the boy’s dark curls. His son looked up at him with something sad and lonely in his dark eyes and the man lifted the boy into his arms, made easy as he was considerably slight and small for a boy of nine. Charlie, always a tactile boy, nestled closer to his father without the protests most children his age would have, taking comfort in the contact rather than asserting his independence.

The man met his wife’s eyes and half-expected a lecture about ‘stunting their child’s independent growth’, but received only an understanding smile. He bent his head down to whisper conspiratorially into his son’s ear, Charlie’s face growing brighter and brighter with every moment. This caused Charlie’s mother to narrow her eyes suspiciously at her husband, who only shrugged innocently as he let the child down.

Charlie practically jumped onto his mother as he gave her a tight squeeze, waved goodbye to his father and vice principal, and raced off toward the playground as quickly as his short legs could carry him. Watching him run off, his mother turned back to her husband with the same suspicion as before. “What did you say to him?”

He smiled sheepishly. “How do you feel about going to the nature museum this weekend?”

She sighed. “You bribed him with the dinosaur exhibit, didn’t you?”

“…maybe…”

xx

Charlie had been ecstatic by his father’s offer to go see the bones at the museum, but the closer he drew to the playground, the more his euphoria transformed into dread. His steps became more hesitant, more tentative, and he found himself sitting by himself in the corner as he watched the other kids play. He drew his knees to his chin, wrapping thin arms around them as he longed only to go back to the security of his parents.

His gaze slowly traveled over the playground, taking in the sight of the other members of his class, a group of girls at a hopscotch board, another by the swings, and a majority of the boys gathered at what looked to be a tetherball match.

One of the competitors caught Charlie’s eye almost involuntarily, a brown-haired boy with skin the color of caramel candies, whose face bore such an animated expression Charlie found himself drawn in. One by one, the boys fell out, defeated, only to be replaced by an eager youth motivated to finally beat the brunette boy.

But the boy was clearly determined not go down so easily and Charlie found himself enthralled, by the cocky, enthusiastic smile he sported, by the confident, graceful way he moved. Most especially when one opponent, a skinny blonde, hit the ball far too hard, and with a simple, reflexive rebound by Charlie’s boy, it came propelling back at the other with too much momentum.

The ball came slamming into the blonde’s chest before anyone could stop its destination, knocking him off balance to hit the ground, Charlie wincing with sympathy as he watched the other boy’s knee collide with the asphalt. Charlie watched as the boy he had been watching ran to where the kid had fallen, offering a hand up. It was a kind gesture, and one that would utterly transform Charlie’s impressions, even if he himself did not yet know it.

The skinny kid glanced up warily at the other but accepted his offer, allowing himself to be lifted to his feet. The brunette boy smiled and clapped his playmate’s shoulder in a friendly matter, speaking to him in a low tone that had the kid hastily wiping away tears that had formed and hesitantly smiling up at him. His companion grinned, throwing an arm around his shoulder and began talking as he turned the other boy toward the school.

But as if sensing the focus on him, the boy turned his head in Charlie’s direction, and bright blue eyes locked with his. It was a strange, surreal sensation that ripped through Charlie’s very being, something magnetic, almost involuntarily attracting about those eyes, charged with an energy and charisma still inexplicable to the mind of a nine-year-old.

He could see the interest in brunette’s eyes and his lingering hesitation as he stopped in place, gaining the attention of the other boys walking with him. The eye-lock between them died away as the brunette’s attention was drawn elsewhere and Charlie dropped his head in disappointment, unnoticing of the discreet glances constantly cast in his direction by those blue eyes.

xx

Ten-year-old Skylar found himself oddly disappointed that he could not find the time to speak to the curly-haired boy he saw sitting alone, feeling something indefinable in him drawn to the other boy’s blatant loneliness.

He watched the boy throughout the day, trying desperately to find a way to talk to him, even if only to get close for a few moments, but it was to no avail. All morning, there was always something that offset his path, got in his way or distracted his attention until the object of his fascination was nowhere in sight.

The one thing, however, that he noticed every time he looked in the other boy’s direction was that his always seemed to be a solitary presence. He practically exuded isolation and lonesomeness, pulling at Skylar in some way that manifested as more than a sympathetic pull at his heartstrings, manifesting in ways he could not begin to understand.

For lunch, the four and fifth grade classes found themselves filing out once more onto the playground, each child armed with paper lunch-sacks and early-acquired sports equipment. Skylar lingered back, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy, and his attempts were rewarded when he heard the sounds of childish taunting.

xx

“Crybaby, crybaby, crrrryyyybaaaaabbby!!!!”

As he looked around for a place to have his lunch in private, Charlie was frozen by the sight of a group of boys surrounding a little girl, a straggler from the younger grades still leaving the playground from the earlier lunch hour.

He watched as one of the boys pulled at the girl’s pigtails, her brown eyes obscured by tears and her pretty face flushed a beet red as she swatted at him. Charlie nervously gulped, set his lunch aside, and marched up to the fracas.

“H-hey! You leave her alone!”

Unfortunately for him, the physical size of him didn’t quite match up to his newfound bravado.

xx

Skylar was furious as he found the boys, a number of them he considered friends, bullying, led by Jack, who he had befriended that morning over a game of tetherball. His ire only grew as he recognized his little sister and the boy he’d been looking for.

Skylar grabbed Jack’s arm, gently releasing Jordan’s hair before giving Jack a hard shove into the nearby wall. The boys stopped their teasing instantly, recognizing him for the guy he was, staring at him slack-jawed as he grabbed Jack’s collar like he’d seen in the movies, shoving the other boy back against the rough concrete of the wall.

“Didn’t your momma ever tell you not to pick on someone smaller than you? _Especially_ not my sister. You leave them alone!”

Jack, wide-eyed and stupefied, nodded without a sound, scurrying off the moment Skylar let him go. The other boys took one look at Skylar and did the same, leaving his sister and the object of his fascination. “Jay, you okay?”

The six-year-old sniffled, stubbornly wiping away her tears. "Yeah, thanks, Sky." She pouted then, folding her arms. "I could have taken 'em if there wasn't so many. Babies."

Skylar laughed. Jordan was a West, alright, full of fire and sass. Of course she was just fine. "Yeah.” He turned to the other boy, watching them bemusedly. “Thanks for trying to stick up for my sister.” He grinned. “I’m Skylar and that’s Jordan.”

“Hi…” Charlie hesitantly returned the older boy’s smile, becoming aware of the girl’s regard. She was frowning, looking him up and down. Charlie had the distinct feeling he was being judged right then and there, and that judgment would somehow be very important.

She nodded to herself after a moment, coming to a decision only she knew about. "I gotta go, Sky. Teacher’s calling.” She waved and took off.

Skylar was smiling pleasantly as he regarded Charlie, holding up his lunchsack. “Wanna eat together?”

 “Uh…y-yeah, sure,” Charlie managed to choke out, internally wincing as he stumbled over his words. But it did not seem to matter, for it only earned him another smile from the other boy and he plopped own right beside Charlie as they sat on a nearby bench.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Charlie.”

“Charlie.” Skylar smiled again, showing off dimples, “I like that name.”

Skylar. Charlie rolled the name off of his tongue, silently sounding out the syllables. He decided he liked the other boy’s name too, though he could not bring himself to say so. He watched curiously as Skylar unwrapped his sandwich, opening the bread to peek inside only to have his face twist into an expression of disgust.

“What’s wrong?”

“My mom made me PB and J with strawberry jelly. I’m allergic to strawberries.” Skylar dropped the sandwich back into the bag, leaning back with a sigh. “It’s not her fault. My baby brother and sister have something called c…cole…col…colic!” He triumphantly exclaimed the word as he finally remembered. “They cry ALL the time. My moms’ room is right next to the nursery. They don’t get _any_ sleep.”

Charlie cocked his head curiously in the other boy’s direction. “You have two moms?”

Skylar tensed, his previously easy manner replaced by defensiveness. “Yeah. So?”

Charlie held up his hands in a universal symbol for no harm. “Nothing. That’s kinda cool, actually.”

Skylar relaxed, looking apologetic. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them, broken a few moments later as Charlie dug out his own sandwich, shyly peeking up as he offered it to Skylar. “Do you like chicken salad? My mom made it, and it’s really good. I’ll trade if you want.”

“Really? Thanks.”

The rest of the day, the boys were inseparable. They talked for the remainder of the lunch hour, sat together through class and partnered together when required. By the end of the day, the duo sat together side by side waiting for their parents, quietly talking, oblivious to everyone outside of them, until Jordan wandered over.

“Hey, Jay, whatcha doing? Weren’t you hanging out with those girls earlier?”

“Yeah, but all they talked about was Barbies and princess movies. Bleh.”

Skylar wrinkled his nose even as he grinned. Much to their Mami’s chagrin, Jordan had never been very girly, much to Skylar’s delight after she grew old enough for him to play with without having to hold back. His attention was stolen away a moment later when a friend called out his name, and as he turned his head to reply, Charlie and Jordan eyed each other in wary silence.

“You like soccer?” Jordan asked after a pregnant pause.

“I…I’m not good at sports,” Charlie replied sheepishly. “Do you like dinosaurs?”

“Uh-uh. Horses?”

Charlie brightened. “I read about them! Did you know the dad horses are called stallions and the mom horses are mares? And the babies, the boy ones are colts and the girls are fil…”

He trailed off, suddenly abashed at sounding so nerdy, but Jordan was actively listening and Skylar was smiling at him encouragingly. When Charlie’s parents as well as Skylar and Jordan’s Mami came to pick the children up, they were left to ponder why the children were galloping around and neighing.

Tori’s bewilderment was quickly diverted, however, doing a double-take as she caught sight of her new companions.

“Cat? Robbie?!”

“Tori?”

Meanwhile, Skylar West grinned charmingly at his new friend and Charlie Shapiro nervously returned the smile, feeling a funny flutter in his belly he wouldn’t understand for several years to come.


	15. Tooth Trouble

“Mmph.”

The muffled groan of frustration sounded from one of the twin bundles sprawled across the bed, the soft noise made in protest against interrupted slumber. Jade pulled the blankets tighter around herself, muttering under her breath as she nestled closer to her wife’s warmth. Squeezing her eyes shut against the light spilling through the cracked door, she tried in vain to dismiss the return of conscious thought threatening the comfortable fog of sleep gripping her mind.

Tori shifted beside her, the low murmur of her voice inquiring at their intruder. The words were inaudible to Jade’s ears, but nonetheless, she admitted defeat as she heaved a sigh and reluctantly forced her eyes open.

Or would have, had she not found her vision obscured by something warm, furry and purring. Huffing with annoyance, she gently but firmly shoved the feline off her head, receiving a hiss of protest even as she helped the tiny thing onto the floor. A flash of a single white paw gave the nuisance’s identity as Ash and not his lesser invasive sister, Sage. The gray tabby siblings, adopted a month before, had been the runts of their litter, so small it baffled Jade how the animal could have climbed onto the bed in the first place.   
  
She sighed and lifted her head, glaring at the alarm clock announcing it to be three o’clock in the A.M. in blaring red numbers, as if to mock her exhaustion. She rolled over to face Tori and the source of her interrupted sleep, surprised when said disruption came in the form of seven-year-old Jordan, garbed in one of her brother’s t-shirts (after passing the point when children were young enough for dolls and trucks to be equally appealing to play with, Jordan had set firmly in the tomboy phase, and rejected nightgowns of any kind, much to Tori’s dismay), fingers pressed to her mouth and her brown eyes wide with an emotion akin to fear.   
  
Jade blinked, resolutely awake now as her mommy senses went into overdrive. Tori had a hand on their daughter’s shoulder, speaking in low, reassuring tones as she tried to convince the girl to tell her what was wrong. Jordan refused to answer as she kept her eyes stubbornly on her awkwardly fiddling feet, hand still pressed stubbornly to her mouth.

Tori sighed and gently pried her fingers away, hushing Jordan’s sound of protest as she leaned closer to investigate. Jade frowned and did the same, brows arching as she saw the tiny spots of red on her daughter’s fingertips. Ash, intuitive however irritating, meowed at Jordan’s feet and rubbed against her calf to offer what comfort he could.   
  
“Jordan, what happened, baby? Are you hurt?”

Jordan winced, lowering her eyes again “I wost my toof,” she grudgingly admitted, holding out her free hand to show the small white incisor resting in her palm. Both her mothers visibly relaxed, Jade pulling back the blankets to head to her and Tori’s adjoining bathroom. She returned with a bundle of tissue, sitting beside her wife to gently wipe away the thin trail of red at the corner of her daughter’s mouth, dabbing away the blood on her fingers. She coaxed Jordan to open her mouth, and noticing the new gap between her baby teeth had already stopped bleeding, wondered just how long their daughter had waited to come to them.

“Momma?”

“Yes, baby girl?”

“Are you and Mami mad?”

Both Jade and Tori’s brows shot up to their hairlines. Sharing a baffled look with Jade, Tori asked, “Honey, why do you think Momma and I would be angry?”

Jordan looked at them anxiously, reaching down to pick Ash up. The cat’s yellow irises fixed on Jade, measuring her up it seemed, for distressing his little human. Just whose head was he sleeping on five minutes ago?

“Cause you yelled at Sky when he came home wif his mouf bleeding.”

Tori winced and Jade stifled a laugh. The humor was (obviously) not in their daughter’s distress, but rather in the misunderstanding and the situation that had caused it. A situation she and Tori _still_ disagreed over. And the cute lisp the missing tooth was causing in Jordan’s speech didn’t hurt.

Jade smirked, picking Jordan up to bring her back with her onto the bed with defined bounce. Jordan giggled, both at the action and the light of good humor in her momma’s eyes, and cuddled Ash close. Jade cradled child and feline against her as Jordan snuggled in and Tori lay on her side facing them, adjusting so she could meet her daughter’s eyes.

“Sweetie, we didn’t get angry with Skylar because his mouth was bleeding. We-” Looking over at the overly innocent expression on her spouse’s face, she corrected herself, “ _I_ was angry because Skylar was fighting. We talked about this, remember? Your brother should have gotten a teacher instead of hitting Roger.”

Jordan wrinkled her nose, giggling as Ash batted at it in reaction. She scratched his ears, placating him and looked imploringly at her Mami. “But Mami, Sky said he smacked Woger ‘cause he made fun of Charlie’s glasses. And Momma says we shouldn’t take lip from bullies!”  
  
With a pointed glare toward Jade that promised further discussion, not really noticed as Jade was busy eyeing the cat (really, what was her wife’s obsession with thinking their animals were devious in some way?), Tori continued, “Even so, honey, that’s something for Mami, Momma and Skylar to discuss, okay? I just want you to know you’re not in trouble. This is good. You know why?”

Jordan peered at her curiously. “Why?”

“You lost your first tooth. That means you’re growing up.”

“Weally?”

Jade smirked, sending a wink over their child’s head to Tori. “You’re growing up real fast, Jay. You’ll be moving out in no time! We’d finally have the room to set you up with a studio, Tor.”

“Momma! You can’t take my woom! I’m not dat old yet!”

Jade widened her eyes dramatically. “You’re not?”

“No! I’m only seben!” Jordan sighed, rolling her eyes at her momma’s dramatics.

Jade rubbed her chin thoughtfully, heaving a sigh of exaggerated disappointment. “Hear that, Tor? She’s only seven.”

Tori smiled. “Only seven, huh? Seven-year-old girls should be sleeping this late at night. Especially if they want the tooth fairy to have time to come.”

Jade eyed her daughter, and then the cat, and Tori knew she must have been more tired than she thought, because she could have sworn Ash just nodded at Jade. Ash, for his part, moved smoothly out of the way, as Jade made her next move, leaping out of the bed and taking Jordan with her.

Jordan squealed with protest as Jade playfully flung the girl over her shoulder, one securely holding the small body to her as she moved to leave the room, Ash following. Mother and daughter bickered back and forth before Tori hushed them. “Careful, you two. You don’t want to wake the twins.”

The duo cast such a strikingly similar suspicious glare in the direction of the nursery holding the one-year-old menaces Jade had brought into the world, Tori had to slap a hand over her mouth to smother the laugh.   
  
The last she heard from the pair as they disappeared into the dark hallway, Ash on Jade’s heels with a regal whipping of his nail before turning the corner, was Jordan’s indignant muttering and her whisper-yelling as she tried to reason with her mother. “But Momma! Id’s early in da morning, not nighttime!”

Tori shook her head and settled back into bed, deciding Jade should be the one to wait for their daughter to fall asleep and slip their usual silver dollar beneath her pillow. Seven indeed, she thought wryly as she drifted back to sleep. Seven going on forty was more like it.

And like her brother, more like her Momma than was probably healthy for the rest of the world.


	16. Butterscotch Angels

n the shadows of their dark living room, Jade glanced up at the clock as the ending credits to a children's movie rolled over the television screen. She gently shook her wife, curled up beside her on the sofa. Tori stirred, blinking sleepily and with some confusion before her surroundings registered, her arms instinctively tightened around the little bundle of person she was holding. Jade smiled, turning her head to face Jordan, cuddled into Jade's side. She brushed the runaway hair away from the girl's face, smiling again as she made a face. Jade had a feeling they would be cutting the dark brown locks short soon at her daughter's request; Tori would be dismayed, but Jordan was establishing herself as a true tomboy.

"Hey, baby girl, it's time for your bath. Holler if you need help."

Jordan huffed indignantly, rolling her eyes at her mother. "I don't need help, Momma. I'm not a baby."

Jade rolled her eyes in return, though she appreciated the quiet tone Jordan used so not to wake her siblings. "Alright. Then if you wash up and get in your jammies, you get one more movie before bed."

The eight-year-old didn't need any more prompting, scurrying up the stairs as quickly as her short legs could carry her. Jade sighed, knowing she couldn't yell after the girl for running in the house without making too much noise. She turned her head at the sound of Tori's soft chuckle, glaring when she saw her wife's amused expression and realized the other woman had been watching the exchange with no small amount of mirth.

Tori smirked, watching as Jade got to her feet and stretched, her movements dislodging Dusty, the two-year-old Newfoundland curled up on her feet. The dog snuffled in protest as he was shuffled across the carpet, giving Jade a baleful look to which the West woman merely arched an eyebrow. They stared off for only a few moment before Dusty backed down with a low whine, and it was all Tori could do not to break out into laughter at the strange exchange.

Jade moved to Tori and carefully lifted up the toddler dozing against the Latina's side. She effortlessly supported his weight as she reached for his twin, Tori helping to maneuver the girl from her lap into Jade's free arm. As her love shifted their twins to her hips for better support, Tori freed herself from the tangle of blankets, stuffed animals and cats the family movie had entailed. She gathered what she needed in her arms, Ash and Sage dancing at her feet as they caught on to it being bedtime.

Jade paused for a moment, glancing first at the front door and then her wife, frowning. "What time was Skylar supposed to be home again?"

"Relax, babe. Cat said she and Robbie would drop the boys off at nine after they were done. It's not even eight yet."

Jade huffed. "He's never been out this late without us before."

Tori hid a smile at the protective tone to Jade's voice, starting toward the staircase. "He's nearly fourteen, Jade. And it's a Friday."

Jade grumbled a little more under her breath but conceded as she followed after her lover. "How long are we keeping Charlie this time?" Both she and Tori had come to find they quite liked Robbie and Cat's son, a shy but sweet and bright boy. It had been a pleasant surprise to run into their old friends a few years before, having lost touch over time after the couple moved to New York, where Robbie had a successful ventriloquism act and Cat worked makeup and wardrobe for Broadway. They had come back to California hoping the change of scenery would help ease some of Charlie's introverted nature. They'd succeeded the moment Charlie met Skylar. The boys were very close, Charlie clearly idolizing the more charismatic Skylar and followed after him like an imprinted duckling. For his part, Skylar didn't let the attention go to his head, remaining attentive and kind, and it was obvious he completely adored the younger boy.

"All weekend. I'm driving him to school on Monday," Tori replied as they started up the stairs, and the animals trailed after them as if refusing to be left out of excitement of whatever their humans were doing.

The climb must have jostled the sleeping children unexpectedly, as their son stirred against Jade's shoulder and his restless movements woke his sister in return. Their daughter let out a protesting whine, nuzzling her face back into the crook of Jade's neck. The boy was more conscious, dark lashes fluttering open to reveal sleepy green eyes. "Momma? Where goin'?"

"It's bedtime, monkey. I'm putting you to bed."

"Kay," he murmured, agreeable as usual as he settled back down. His twin, however, was not so easily appeased, now more curious than tired. She raised her head to fix determined blue eyes on her Mami. "Do we hafta?"

"Yes, Izzy. Bedtime is bedtime."

Izzy pouted her little rosebud mouth, turning to seek an ally in her Momma. Jade cut her off preemptively. "Nuh-uh, angelface. That's not going to work."

Tori did her best to hide her chuckle at the exaggerated pout Izzy then gave them, not wanting to encourage the petulance. Isabella Adele and Michael Alejandro, just shy of being three-and-a-half, were remarkably similar in looks, despite only being fraternal twins. If Tori had thought Skylar looked like Jade, Michael and Izzy blew that impression away. The twins were West through and through, greatly resembling, Jade had said, their uncle, James, Jade's younger brother, sharing the thick black hair they had inherited from Jade's father. Izzy, fitting her vivacious and outspoken character, had the same clear blue eyes as Jade and Skylar, passed down from Jade's actress mother, but Michael, the quieter and more thoughtful of the twins, had inherited his dark, forest-green eyes from his no-nonsense West grandfather.

Now upstairs, Tori maneuvered her way around Jade to open the door to the twins' bedroom, switching on the light before letting her lover pass her. Tori pulled back Michael's blankets so Jade could deposit the boy on the bed, sitting herself on the side of his mattress as Jade went to repeat her actions with their daughter.

"Momma," Izzy piped up as Jade tucked her blankets around her, "Why you call me 'angel'?"

"Well," Jade replied brightly, with a sly smile Tori couldn't help but feel suspicious of, "The first time your Mami put you in my arms after you were born, I was so doped up on the good stuff you looked like a little angel instead of the devil-spawn I'd just pushed out of my-"

"Jade!"

Jade grinned cheekily at Tori's reprimand and Izzy giggled at her comical expression. Michael goggled at them, and Tori could only bury her face in her hands with a groan. It was only Michael trying to get her attention that brought her to face the insanity again.

"Mami, is Scotchie a angel?"

Tori paused from where she'd been arranging his stuffed animals and blankets. She looked down at Michael, who lay cuddling with Ash. Michael was the only one besides Jordan the temperamental cat favored, and it was only looking into the little demon's yellow eyes that Tori gave any credence to Jade's paranoid theories about their animals.

Exchanging a look with Jade, Tori smoothed back his hair with a fond smile. "I think so, sweetie. What made you think that? The angel in the movie?"

"Uh-huh. Scotchie should have a floaty cloud an' a glowy circle. He was good boy."

"He was," Tori agreed, and between the two beds, her and Jade's hands met and entwined.

"Mami," Izzy chimed in, looking confused, "When's Scotchie comin' home?"

"Baby girl," Jade said gently, Sage mewling comfortingly as she caught the emotional undertone to the room and nuzzled against her little human's neck. "Do you remember what Mami and I told you about heaven?"

"Yep. But I miss 'im. Is he havin' too much fun?"

Jade let go of Tori's hand to move closer and place Izzy in her lap. "I'll tell you what, honey. Do you remember how before he went to heaven, Scotch couldn't run anymore? He could only walk very slowly and it hurt him to move?" Izzy nodded. "Scotch can run and play as much as he wants now in heaven, because he doesn't hurt anymore. He misses you too, baby girl, but he can't come home again."

Izzy frowned sympathetically. "Cause we don't want Scotchie to hurt no more?"

"That's right, sweetie," Tori added, "We all loved Scotch very much. Now we have to love him enough to let him go."

Izzy nodded seriously. "I get it, Mami."

"Can I talk to Scotchie?" Michael asked.

His parents shared another look and Jade shrugged in response. It couldn't hurt. "I don't see why not, monkey."

"Can we go to his rock? Like Granda Je'miah?"

Jade smiled, catching the reference to the gravestone of her grandfather, Jeremiah, the one who had lost part of his nose in the war. The gruff old soldier had had a soft spot for his little Jadelyn, and though he had lived just long enough to see Jade and Tori married, Jade told the same stories he had told her to her children, and made it a point to bring them to "meet" Great-Granddad.

"That can be arranged, boyo."

"Time for bed, monkeys," Tori announced, settling Izzy back into bed as Jade dropped kisses to each forehead.

A twin chorus of "Night, Mami, night, Momma. Love you," filled the air.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

The lights were turned out and the door closed. The moment they were out of sight of the children, Tori leaned back against her wife, Jade's arms coming to wrap around her waist. "I miss him too."

"Me too, babe." As adversarial as their relationship could be, she truly would mourn the loss of the extraordinary dog. "Me too."

_Jade groaned as she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head. She sighed with relief as the tension of sitting in the same position for hours eased. Satisfied with her finished work, she shut down her laptop and stood up to leave the office. After flicking off the lights, she stepped into the hallway, intent on finding her wife when her left foot became suddenly wet, and very cold._

_Jade paused, clenched her teeth, and slowly counted to ten…._

… _Looking down to find she had stepped into a nearly-empty melting carton of ice cream…_

_With a knowing sigh, she peeled off the soiled sock and went looking for the guilty parties, following the smeared brown smudges she found on the carpet. Finding Tori passed out on the couch amongst half-folded laundry answered a few questions, as did the shame-faced culprits to be found hiding in the linen closet. It was all she could do not to laugh as two dark heads whipped around to stare at her as she opened the door, and with mouths smeared with butterscotch ice cream, they begged her not to tell their Mami._

_With another sigh, she regarded the other party in the closet, wedged between the three-year-olds. To Butterscotch's credit, there were no tell-tale signs of any of the dessert on his muzzle, only a sticky mess as she would find later from where the children had tried to use his tail to paint the wall. The old Retriever raised his head at her attention, meeting Jade's gaze head-on. He gave a huff, as if to ask 'what could I do?'. They'd gotten good at this type of communication over the years, and Jade had to concede to his point. The furball was off the hook, and she was thankful he'd been there to keep them from doing something more reckless. Doors may have been locked and sharp objects kept out of reach, but the children she had personally spawned were a force of nature, regular Houdini troublemakers. Little devils with angelic faces._

_She directed a grateful nod toward the pet, lifting a child under each arm to take them off to the bath. Butterscotch put his head back down, and she just barely heard the beginnings of his wheezing snore over the twins' whines and protests._

_Later, Tori would be mortified she had fallen asleep, a rare mistake prompted by her busy schedule. Skylar would be reprimanded for sneaking out to see Charlie when he was supposed to be helping his mother and would be left to deal with the aftermath of his absence. Jordan would come home to her brother occupied with their vomiting twin siblings, her Mami fretting over her parenting skills despite frequent assurances, and her Mom popping aspirin. In the morning, things would back to normal, but for now, chaos reigned._

_And before that welcome peace of morning came, when Jade finally had some quiet time, she offered Butterscotch a bath of his own. Soaping his sticky fur down and letting him soak to his heart's content, she only hoped it was at least a temporary relief to the faithful companion's aching arthritic bones._

Tori rested her head in the crook between Jade's neck and shoulder, closing her eyes. Jade held her closer. "Jordan will be out of her bath soon," she said softly.

Tori sighed, snuggling deeper into Jade's arms. "Just a few more minutes."

Jade pressed a kiss to her temple, breathing out slowly. "Take as long as you need, love."


End file.
